Process of combustion.



B. VALJEAN.

PROCESS OF COMBUSTION.

APPLICATION FILED .l ULY 12,1916.

1,2 0,596. Patented 0ct.1,1918. I

BEN VALJEAN, OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF COMBUSTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 876,847, filed December 12, 1914. This application filed July 12, 1916. Serial No. 108,879.

To all whom. it ma 1 concern.

' in a blue flame, or a luminous flame, or any intermediate type of flame, and whereby this may be done with maximum efficiency and without expenditure of energy to increase the natural draft of the combustion or atomize the fuel from which the supply of gas is obtained. Generally, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel process of combustion in which a higher degree of efficiency is attainable than in processes heretofore practised, and one which may be carried on in an open 'or unsealed apparatus; and, in the following specification, I point out a previous source of waste and inefliciency in the combustion of gases rich in hydrocarbon, and disclose a general and fundamental improvement in the art of their combustion.

This application is a continuation in part of my application S. N. 876,847, filed December 12, 191- For the purpose of explaining my process, I illustrate simple forms of apparatus in the accompanying drawings; but it will be ap parent from the following specification that my 'n'occss i not limited to practice in such forms of apparatus but is adaptable to combustion ofgas producing fuels in almost all their uses.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan of a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the process, Fig. 2 is a vertical-central section of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of" a modified form of apparatus; and Fig. 4 i a vertical central section of another modified form of apparatus. The drawings show proportional sizes of parts of apparatus successful for certain hydrocarbons; but it will be understood that the sizes and proportions will vary to suit differeut fuels and diiferentv types of flames; all as hereinafter described.

I refer first to Figs. 1 and 2. Therein the numeral 1 denotes a gas supply pipe having branches 1 and 1 controlled by valves 2 and 3 respectively to admit gas into chambers 13 and 11. It is immaterial whether the gas is fed through these pipes and valves under pressure or by the draft of the apparatus. At 4 and 5 I provide slide valves for regulating the supply of air through openings 6 and 7, which lead to the chambers l and 11, respectively. I provide an inner chamber 8 in which a lean or rich mixture of gas and air of regulalole quantity and proportions may be formed by adjustment of the valves 2 and 4. At 9 there is an exit from the chamber 8 which leads to the combustion chamber or chimney 10; to which portion of the apparatus the combustion is limited, for the reason, as hereinafter de scribed, that no explosive mixture is elsewhere formed. The chamber 11 may be filled with pure gas, pure air, or a mixture of gas and air in regulable proportions or quantity, or rate of supply, by the use of the valves 3 and 5. At 12 there is a series of holes for the exit of gases from chamber 11 into a combustion chamber or chimney 10.

By adjustment of the valves 2 and 4, as described, it will be evident that a nonexplosive lean mixture of regulable quantities and proportions may be formed in chamber 8 and that it may be burned in the combustion chamber 10 with addition of gas from chamber 11 or with addition of a nonexplosive rich mixture of gas and air regulable as to quantity and proportion, which may be formed in chamber 11 in the manner indicated inthe foregoing description. For the purpose of most effectually carrying on this operation the chimney 10 may be made somewhat taller. It is most evident that by this apparatus complete control of the mixtures may be exercised, both as to relative quantity and individualproportions, s0 that a non-explosim lean mixture may be burnt with the addition of a gas or with the addition of a non-explosive rich mixture; and that the proportions and quantities of the various elements may be adjusted to get the results of combustion desired.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I illustrate another means of adjustment for making the change or variation in the preliminary mixtures .andthus to control the final result in combustion In these forms of apparatus the means oi of gas admitted through the vided into two parts; one part of the gas is drawn down to' or around the Jet of air pass mixture. It is evident that, by

controlling proportions of gas and air in the mixtures resides in the form and size and proportions of various parts of the apparatus rather than in valve control. In both Figs. 3 and 4 numeral 1 designates the gas supply pipe controlled by the valve 2 to admit gas in negulable quantities to the upper part of the preliminary mixing chamber 8 or 8 The slide valve 4' regulates the amount of air which may pass through the air opening 6*. At 9 is the entrance to the combustion chamber or chimney 10. In either of these cases, as in the other form of apparatus described, combustion begins at 9 except in the case when by the adjustment of the valves 2 and 4, the combustion chamber is filled with a non-explosive rich mixture; and then combustion cannot begin until the mixture reaches the top of the combustion chamber or chimney 10?. When a rich mixture is not thus formed the supply valve 2 is diing upwardly through the opening 6 and forms therewith a-lean mixture; the other part of-the gas passes more directly to the entrance 9%, andinto the chimney. Between this lean mixture and the gas there is, of course, a body or film of-explosive mixture in which combustion'occurs, and the amount of rich mixture of gas that is supplied to'the outside of the explosive mixture, depends I upon what proportion of the gas is admitted to the foot of the chimney above the level of the explosive mixture and what proportion passes below the level of the explosive mixture to the lean mixture formed by the jet of air passing through the opening 6 This division of the gas, as before indicated, dependsupon the form, size and shape of the apparatus. The'jet of air passing into the much larger chamber 8 shown in Fig. lhas much more power to draw a large quantity of gas with it than the jet in the small chamber 8* of Fig. 3. Consequently the apparatus shown in Fig. 4 draws a larger portion of the gas below the leveLof the explosive mixture to form a lean mixture with air entering through 6*. It thereforereserves but a small portion,.of the gas to form a rich mixture above the explosive mixture. On the'other hand, the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 draws but little of the gas below the level of the explosive mixture to form a lean mix-- ture and reserves nearly all of the gas to form the rich mixture above the explosive varying the shape and size of preliminary mixing chamber 8 or 8 as indicated, a complete control of the results is made possible. That is. I

.may, by proper proportioning of-the apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and-4, burn the combustible gasesin a blue, aluminous, or

a any intermediate type of flame. The proportional sizes of apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are successful for the following stated cases: I have successfully used in each flame the smaller apparatus produces a'luminous. flame. If both valves 2* are opened more (equally) then the larger apparatus produces a luminous flame and the smaller one produces a highly luminous flame. That is, with given feeds of gas and given openings to atmosphere, then the smaller apparatus always draws in less air, forms a larger body of rich mixture, and produces a more luminous or more smoky flame; I have found by trial that it is the proportion of the size of the air inlet opening to the size ofthe body of gas into which the air enters,

and the distance 9f the air inlet fronrthe" similar inlets into the same body of gas, that controlsthe results as to character of flame. Thus, I find that the large apparatus can produce a blue flame with any of the fuels above noted (of course, the relative openings of the gas and air inlets being regulated differently for each different fuel) whereas the smaller apparatus always, with the same relative regulation of gas and air inlets, produces a more luminous or smoky flame than that produced by the large apparatus. These apparatus are illustratedv in correct relative sizes, and in correct relation of size to each other; and' the absolute sizes will of course depend upon the amount of combustion desired.

The general novel functions of the apparatus h rein described (and these are the features 0 my process) are to form the final explosive or combustible mixture by the intermixture or bringing together of a preliminary formed body which is a non-explosively lean mixture of fuel gas (or vapor) and air and a preliminary body which is non-explosively rich in gas (either a nonexplosively rich mixture of gas and air, or gas alone) to prevent combustion until the final mixture by the non-explosibility of the preliminary bodies,

and to then precipthe-preliminary bodies to form an ex losive mixture; and, for these purposes a (l the purposes of eflicient combustion, to control not only the individual characters of the.

preliminary bodies (the relative proportions of gas and air therein) but also the relative Volumes of the bodies. The purpose of such formation and control is to control the average mixture in which combustion actually takes place. The utility of controlling the proportions of the explosive mixture in this manner may be clearly shown by the following examples:

For the purpose of illustration I select petrol vapor, as it occupies a somewhat middle position between the heavier vapors that maybe used and the lighter gases. For practical purposes the petrol hexane, C H may be taken; a good petrol may, for all practical purposes, be considered as of the formula of hexane, C H as it is a mixture of this formula witl the next lower and higher members of its group in proportions which give about this composition.

The complete combustion of this compound is represented by C H a 190 g 600, 7H,o.

Two volumes of this vapor require 19 vol-' .nited the initial combustion will be largely limited, to a mixture of approximately 1 part of vapor and 20 parts of air, as is shown by the smoke thrown off causedby the initial lack of air to complete the combustion. In other words. combustion largely takes I place in;the richest possible combustible mixture. Again, if a 1 to 20 mixture of petrol vapor and air, for one element, and air, for the other element,-be brought together, com bustion will occur in an average mixture which must beleaner than one part of gas to 20 parts of air, and in this case the combustion will be highly luminous but smokeless. In either of such cases it will be seen that there is a tendency to burn in a rich mixture which is very far removed from being perfectly combustible (in fact, mule richest mixture possible under the circumstances); and it is this tendency, with its accompanying inefficiency of combustion,

which my process avoids by the use of a lean mixture. In other words, instead of approaching combustibility from the rich SlClB, the mixture in my process approaches combustibility from the lean side.

Ifa non-explosive lean mixture, which .we have seen to be 1 part vapor to 50 or more parts air under atmospheric pressure, bebrought together with a mixture of 1 part petrol vapor to 20 or less parts air, and the two ignited, I have found that combustion will take place on the average in a much leaner mixture than in the one previously mentioned; that is, in a mixture much leaner relative and individual of the two mixtures .brought together.

The experimental evidence of this fact is found in the gradual loss of luminosity of the flame as the proportionate amount of lean mixture formed before combustion is increased.

Finally, if a 1 to 50 mixture of petrol vapor and air is quickly mixed with 1/510th of its volume of petrol vapor, the proportions will be very closely correct for the complete combustion of the lean mixture. The combustion of the vapor mixed in the lean mixture, or the combustion ofthe rich. mixture formed of that vapor, will not b manifest but all. combustion will appear totake place in the lean mixture. The -flame' 'is. almost invisible and the average mixture in which combustion initiates itself'and takes place must obviously be very close to a perfectly combustible mixture, because the original lean mixture was not very far from being perfectly combustible. Where the final explosive or complete combustible mixture is formed in this manner, or in the very nearly analogous manner of mixing a rich mixture with a lean mixture which is very nearly explosive, the combustion may readily be made to take place in the lean mixture exclusively, for the same reason that when vapor and air are brought together combustion takes place in the rich mixture exclusively.

I have found that similar results may be obtained from other hydrocarbon gases and other. hydrocarbon vapors, the individual and relative proportions of the mixtures depending of course upon the chemical compocarry on a combustion-in a mixture much more nearly perfectly combustible than has heretofore been possible in open flames, as, for instance the burning of gas in air in any of the ordinary manners. This is because of the fact that in my process the preliminary mixture or niixturesmay be brought to a state very closely bordering on combustibility;'and then, when the final mixture is made, combustion takes place in a final mixture much more perfectly combustible than in the ordinary case. i

. Having described a preferred form of invention, I claim:

1. The process of combustion consisting of forming a non-explosive.lean mixture of gaseous fuel and air. forming a non-explosive rich mixture of gaseous fuel and air, bringing said mixtures together, burning said mixtures, and regulating the relative proportions of said mixtures to form a blue, luminous, or intermediate type of'flame as desired.

2. The process of combustion consisting of forming a non-explosive preliminary body which is a lean mixture of gaseousfuel and air, forming another preliminary body- Which is non-explosively rich in gaseous fuel, bringing the two bodies together, burning the bodies, and regulating the relative proportions of said bodies to form a blue,

luminous or intermediate type of flame asdesired.

3. The process of combustion consisting of forming a non-explosive preliminary body Which is a lean mixture of gaseous fuel and air, forming another preliminary body which is non-explosively rich in gaseous fuel, bringing the two bodies together, burning the bodies, and regulating the relative volumes of said bodies and the relative proportions of the constituents of each body, to form a blue, luminous or intermediate type of flame as desired.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of July, 1916.

BEN VALJEAN.

WVitnesses ELwoon H. BARKELEW, JAMES T. BARKELEW. 

